As the clock ticks down to the first week-long hiatus of the sitting, the minority Liberal government seems to be keeping its short-term legislative agenda as open-ended as possible, with just two bills currently in the queue to make it onto the floor, according to the latest look-ahead from Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon, while both Tuesday and Thursday have once again been tentatively set aside for opposition-initiated debate.

First up: Crown – Indigenous Relations Minister Rebecca Alty’s proposal to appoint a Commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation, a position that, as per the draft preamble, would provide “an independent, credible, effective and sustainable oversight mechanism to hold the Government of Canada accountable to Parliament for its actions,” which will be back on the docket tomorrow. (Monday p.m.)

Shortly before MPs turn their attention back to the bill — which was initially presented to the House of Commons in September, but has only clocked in two days of preliminary debate to date — members of the Land Claims Agreement Coalition will hold a press conference to highlight their call for “all political parties (to) work together to bring second reading to a close and see (the bill) referred to committee and passed without delay.” (Monday a.m.)

Also on MacKinnon’s to-do list: Newly-tabled legislation to formally set up Build Canada Homes as a Crown corporation — including, as CBC News notes, giving it “land acquisition authority as well as the ability to partner with private developers” —  which was introduced by Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson last week and is currently set to make its second-reading debut on Wednesday afternoon.

As per the notice paper, the Conservatives have already filed the necessary paperwork to use their third designated supply day of the year to reiterate their demand for the government to “bar non-citizens convicted of serious crimes,” as well as those with “active judicial proceedings related to serious crimes” from filing refugee claims, “end the practice of leniency to non-citizens convicted of serious crimes to avoid deportation,” and “ensure repeat extortionists stay in jail,” as outlined in the non-binding motion standing under the name of party leader Pierre Poilievre. (Tuesday)

Outside the chamber, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne’s 641-page pitch to roll out measures announced in his inaugural budget last fall is still working its way through the committees tasked with going through the fine print, including FINANCE, where MPs are booked in for back-to-back sessions with Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller and Justice Minister Sean Fraser (Monday p.m.)

Also set to defend Champagne’s budget plans:  Industry Minister Mélanie Joly at INDUSTRY AND TECHNOLOGY (Monday p.m.) and Government Transformation Minister Joël Lightbound at GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS AND ESTIMATES, where members are also set to hear more about the “creation and planning of the Defence Investment Agency” from Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr. (Tuesday p.m.)

For his part, Miller is also due to appear before CANADIAN HERITAGE members to go over the latest estimates. (Thursday a.m.)

Also on the committee circuit:

After striking a cross-party deal to conduct a lightning-round review of the government’s bid to overhaul the current bail and sentencing rules — which, after clocking in just three days at committee, is now on track to be reported back to the House of Commons this week —  JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS members are set to circle back to a far more contentious proposal — namely, Justice Minister Sean Fraser’s plan to expand the current anti-hate laws, which was the main target of a prolonged Conservative-led filibuster that effectively blocked the bill from proceeding through clause-by-clause review last fall. (Monday a.m.)

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree’s proposal to update Canada’s cyber security laws is also inching its way through clause-by-clause at PUBLIC SAFETY AND NATIONAL SECURITY. (Tuesday p.m.)

Over at PUBLIC ACCOUNTS, MPs will start going through the fine print of the annual public accounts for the last two years, with senior officials from Finance and Treasury Board Secretariat, as well as Auditor General Karen Hogan and her team expected to be at the table. (Monday a.m.)

NATIONAL DEFENCE members begin a self-initiated examination of the “nexus between national defence, national security and Canada’s critical minerals sector” with back-to-back presentations from University of British Columbia professor Michael Byers, University of Calgary associate dean Elizabeth Steyn and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. (Monday a.m.)

Also on Monday: ACCESS TO INFORMATION, PRIVACY AND ETHICS members take a closer look at the “state of access to information in Canada” with Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard and Canada’s chief librarian and archivist, Leslie Weir as SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS members get an update on the “current situation for democracy and human rights defenders around the world.” (Monday p.m.)

PROCEDURE AND HOUSE AFFAIRS members are set to continue exploring issues related to foreign election interference with senior officials with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, Communications Security Establishment and the RCMP, as well as Saliou Babou, executive director of the “rapid response mechanism” at Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development. (Tuesday a.m.)

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE members have set aside two hours to hear from Kelly Burke, who has been nominated to serve as Canada’s next commissioner of official languages. (Tuesday p.m.)

Interim Parliamentary Budget Officer Jason Jacques is among the expert witnesses set to testify as ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTS investigate ongoing efforts aimed at “protecting Canadian residents from extreme weather events,” with senior officials from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Statistics Canada and Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness also expected to provide their respective perspectives. (Tuesday p.m.)

HEALTH members will get a closed-door, confidential briefing on the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile from Public Health Agency of Canada president Nancy Hamzawi before moving back in public for the second hour of her appearance. (Tuesday p.m.)

On the Senate side: Anandasangaree heads to NATIONAL SECURITY, DEFENCE AND VETERANS AFFAIRS  to field questions on his plan to bolster Canada’s border security regime, as outlined in legislation adopted with the support of the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois just before the chamber shut down for the holidays. (Monday p.m.)

In and around the precinct:

• Canadian Health Coalition chair Jason MacLean teams up with the heads of Friends of Medicare Alberta, Ontario Health Coalition and others to provide a preview of what the advisory is billing as a “historic lobby in defence of public universal health care” as the “biggest ever group of public health defenders” descends on Parliament Hill to “(call) on political leaders to strengthen health care using the Canada Health Act and the Pharmacare Act (in) the face of growing privatization and Americanization of our health care system.” (Monday a.m.)
• Representatives of the Canadian Medical Association will release new data from its annual health and media survey that, according to the advisory, suggests that Canadians “are increasingly turning to AI and other online sources for health information,” leading to concern amongst doctors “about what this will mean going forward if Canada doesn’t adopt strong legislation to manage AI.” (Tuesday a.m.)
• Later this week, Liberal MPs Giovanna Mingarelli and Linda Lapointe hit the House of Commons Foyer alongside Green Party leader Elizabeth May, interim New Democrat leader Don Davies, Conservative MP Michael Barrett and Bloc Québécois MP Andréanne Larouche to promote National Kindness Week, which kicks off on Feb. 15 and “encourages Canadians from coast to coast to coast to celebrate acts of kindness, volunteerism and charitable giving.” (Wednesday a.m.)

Outside the precinct: Women and Gender Equality Minister Rechie Valdez joins local Liberal MP, Leslie Church, at the Toronto headquarters of the Canadian Women’s Foundation to share the details of a fresh tranche of federal funding that, as per the advisory, will “support (the) sustainability of national women’s organizations across Canada.” (Monday a.m.)

Elsewhere in the Greater Toronto Area, Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon — whose portfolio, it’s worth noting, also includes FedDev Ontario — heads to Bradford, Ont., to highlight his government’s latest bid to boost “automotive manufacturing in southern Ontario.” (Monday a.m.)

Meanwhile, Champagne starts the week in Shawinigan, Que., where, according to his office, he “will participate in a ceremony to mark the opening of a new federal building.” (Monday a.m.)

Rounding out the roster, while his office has not yet provided any details on his day-to-day itinerary, a quick check of the party calendar reveals that Carney is slated to headline a $1,775-per-person reception in Halifax later this week, with Nova Scotian front benchers Fraser and Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab also set to make the rounds at the evening event, according to the invite. (Wednesday p.m.)